The CFA Institute RESEARCH CHALLENGE offers students the unique opportunity to learn from leading industry experts and compete with peers from the world’s top finance programs. This annual educational initiative promotes best practices in equity research among the next generation of analysts through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills. The challenge gathers students, investment professionals, publicly traded companies and corporate sponsors together locally for a real world competition on a global scale.
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Research Challenge
Each Research Challenge season leverages the efforts of over:
What is it?
The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual global competition that provides university students with hands-on mentoring and intensive training in financial analysis and professional ethics. The contest’s goal is to promote best practices in equity research and company analysis. Each student will be tested on their analytic, valuation, report writing, and presentation skills. They gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst.
Additionally, all participants are introduced to and held to the standard of the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
Click here for a presentation sheet of the Challenge.
How does it work?
- Local level competitions are organized and judged by CFA Society® members and volunteers who function as local hosts. The winning university team from each local competition advances to one of the three regional competitions.
- The national CFA society hosts and launches the Research Challenge in conjunction with the participating universities.
- The universities assemble teams of 3-5 business and finance students who work directly with a company in researching and preparing a company analysis.
- Mentors with equity analysis experience will be assigned to each team to help the students.
- Each team (one team per school) submits a research report on a specified company and later does a final presentation in front of a judge’s panel consisting of high-profile members of the Swedish investment community.
- The regional and global competitions are hosted by CFA Institute in the Americas; the Asia Pacific; and the Europe, Middle East, and Africa regions. The winning teams from each regional competition advance to the Global Final, where one team emerges as the global champion.
How to get involved?
The Research Challenge provides all participants – both individuals and organizations – with incredible opportunities to get involved.
- Students: Find out if your university participates by asking your professor, our Society, or checking the participating universities list.
- Universities: Form your team and give students the opportunity to compete against their peers and gain real-world experience.
- Employers: Become a judge, mentor, grader, speaker, or corporate sponsor.
